InthemidstoftheviolenceinSouthSudan,achoirofgirlsrescuedfromthestreetskeepshopealiveIaminGradeVI,goingtoGradeVII.MyChristmaswishistobeabletofinishschool.Regina,15-year-oldmemberoftheConfidentChildrenoutofConflictchoirinJuba,SouthSudanThelinefromBeijingtoJubaisbad.Ittakesveralattemptstoconnectandevenafterthecallgoesthrough,thevoicesontheotherendkeepondisappearingandthetenuouslinkbreaks.ThenMoniquecomesontheline.Shehasjustfinishedschoolforthedayandisonherwaytochoirpractice.Shelaunchesintoafull-throatedrenditionofChristisborninBethlehem,thetraditionalChristmascarolthatshewillbesinginginchurchandatfestiveseasonevents,andthemagicofherbeautifulvoicetriumphsoverthereluctantline.WelcometotheConfidentChildrenoutofConflict(CCC)choir.ItincorporateselementsofTheSoundofMusicandCharlesDickens’AChristmasCarol,yetretainsauniquesound.AnditlightsupSouthSudan,theworld’syoungestcountrythathaswitnessedmoreviolenceandbloodshedthanpeaceandprogresssinceitsbirthinJuly2011.Cathy’sstoryThechoirgrewoutofCathyGroenendijk’smovingencounterswithyounggirlswhowerelivingonthestreetsinabjectpoverty,thefalloutofthewar.Groenendijk,borninUganda,cametoSudanin1999withherDutchmissionaryhusbandtorunahealthprogram.Thecountrywascaughtupinacivilwarbetweenthenorthandthesouth.Shewasstruckbyhowpeopletalkedaboutthe“lostboys”ofSudan-morethan20,000boyswhoweredisplacedbytheviolenceandeitherdiedorendedupinrefugeecampsinKenya-butnoonetalkedaboutthe“lostgirls,”whostayedon,livingatraumaticandvulnerablelife.“Theywerelivingonthestreet,inmarkets,andevenincemeteries,”Groenendijksaid.“AtfirstIwouldjusttalkwiththemandofferthemonemealaday.”In2007,shefoundedCCCinSudan,whichcurrentlyrunsashelterforchildren,mostlygirls,educatingthemandteachingthemsocialskills.SheinitiallyrentedaplacetoshelterthegirlsbuthassincereceivedfundingfromtheSwedishInternationalDevelopmentCooperationAgencyforthebuildingwheretheyarecurrentlyhoused.“Wearetakinginchildrenwhohavenootheroption.Thesearestreetchildren,manyofwhomhavebeenseverelyabused.Thisisamale-dominatedsocietyandthewarhaserodedtradition,”Groenendijksaid.“Wehad60girlsbutwiththerecentviolence,thenumberhasgoneupto89children.”AfterSouthSudangotindependentin2011,theyremainedinSouthSudan.Ellen(notherrealname)wasbornafterherfatherwenttofightinthewar.Shelivedinthemarketwithhermother,whowasanalcoholic.“WhenIcameacrossEllen,shewasfilthyandherlanguagewasfoul,”Groenendijksaid.“Shelivedariskylife,survivingonpickingpockets.Shewasalsosexuallyabused.Andshewasonlyseven.”Alina(notherrealname)wasbroughttoCCCbyhermother.“Shewas12or13andherfatherandbrothersweregettinghermarried,”Groenendijksaid.“Girlsareusedascommoditiestobringmoney,especiallyinaconflictzone.Agirlchildisatreewhoismeantforharvesting.Theygavehertoamanwhopaidcowsforher.Whenshecametous,shecouldn’treadorwrite.Allshehadwasherbeautifulvoice.Nowshehasstartedtodream.Shewantstobesomebody.”
COURTESYPHOTOSGirlsfromthechoir
Manyofthegirlshadlovelyvoicesandtheylovedsinging.ItmadeGroenendijkthinkofstartingachoir.“Formingthechoirwasoneofthemostlogicalactivitiestobringthegirlstogetherandmakethemworktogether,”sheexplained.Shesaidonfirstarrivalthegirlscouldnotreadorwriteorspeakanintelligiblelanguageandtheyoftenquarreled.Afterthechoirwasformedin2007itbroughtthemtogetherandthechoirbecameoneofthemostsuccessfulactivitiesintheirlives.Groenendijksaidthechoirhastransformedthegirls,givingthemthechancetoperformforimportantpeopleandboostingtheirconfidence.“Thechoirhelpsthemreachtheirdreams,[and]becomesomeone,”shesaid.
Thechoirperformsinachurch
Avolunteer’sstoryWhenEleanorCainesangintheClareCollegeChoirinCambridgeasastudentandthenintheNationalYouthChoirsofGreatBritain,shedidnotthinkthatoneday,shewouldbesingingwithyounggirlsinSouthSudan.Lookingforworkinthedevelopmentsector,shewasrecruitedtoworkonagirls’educationprograminSouthSudanin2015andfound,toherdelight,thatpartofherjobwastovolunteeratCCC,specificallyhelpinginmusicalactivities.“Thereareabout15[girlsinthechoir]andthemusicismostlyvocalthoughsometimesdrumsareused.Thegirlsareverytalentedandverygoodwithdrums,”Cainesaid.Whiletheyoungestis12theoldestareabout17.OneofthemainvenuesforthechoiristheAllSaints’CathedralinJuba,capitalofSouthSudan,whichalongwithotherchurcheshasbeenshelteringthedisplacedduringescalationsinconflict.“Isangallmylifeinchoirs.Andtosingwithalltheseyoungpeopleisawonderfulexperience,”Cainesaid.ChristmasandtheNewYearareoccasionsthegirlsespeciallylookforwardto,whentheysingChristmascarolsatthecathedral.TheaudiencesaremostlySouthSudanese,sprinkledwithmembersofthediplomaticcommunityandinternationalcommunitystaffworkinginJuba.“Peoplestillhavetheirhumanity.TheywanttomakethingsbetterandcelebrateChristmaswiththesegirls,whohavesufferedalot,”Cainesaid.“Peoplewantpeaceandit[thechoir]bringshopetopeople.”Thedemandforthechoirisgrowing,thoughbecauseofthenewviolencepeopleareunabletostayoutlate.TheysingateventsrangingfromweddingstoUNhigh-leveldialogues.ThechoiralsosingspopularArabicsongsandsongsspeciallywrittenforSouthSudan.“Theyhavenotenjoyedanyformaltrainingbuthavewonderfulvoices.Andtheyenjoysinging,”Cainesaid,addingthatthechoirhasmadearealdifferenceinthelivesofthesegirlswhohavesufferedsomuchanditisinspiringtoseehowmuchmoreconfidenttheyhavebecome.Thegirls’storiesVeronica,whocomesfromCentralEquatoriaState,whichhasseenfreshviolencein2016,hasasimpleChristmaswish.“IaminGradeVI,goingtoGradeVII,”the15-year-oldsaid.“MyChristmaswishistobeabletofinishschool.”Whenshegrowsup,Veronicahasadistinctgoal.“Iwanttobetheeducationministersothatmorechildrenlikemecangotoschool,”shesaid.Seventeen-year-oldMoniquesoundsbothconfidentandgregarious.However,shehasnotalwaysbeenlikethat.“WhenthewarwasinJubaandwecouldheargunshots,Iwasafraid,”sheconfessed.However,whenshesings,shefeelsconfidentandhappy.“Ifeellucky.Ihavebeengivenanopportunitytogotoschool,”shesaid.Umjimaalsohasaspecificgoal.“WhenIgrowup,Iwanttobealawyer.Iwanttofightforpeople’srights,”shesaid.CACommentsto